New Fall River diocesan directory features Mother Teresa on cover

FALL RIVER, Mass. — With plans for the September 4 canonization of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta well underway, the forthcoming Catholic Directory for the Fall River Diocese will be dedicated to the Church’s newest saint.

The newly-revised and fully updated 2016-2017 annual directory, which is slated to begin shipping the first week of September, prominently features a photo of Blessed Mother Teresa on the cover which was taken by renowned area photographer Jack Iddon Jr. during the future saint’s historic visit to the diocese in 1995. The cover was designed by Anchor intern Emilie Jolivet, a graphic design major at UMass Dartmouth in her senior year.

In the photo, Mother Teresa is seen praying inside St. Lawrence Martyr Church in New Bedford, located across the street from her Missionaries of Charity convent, which remains active to this day. The snapshot provides a unique look at a literal “saint among us” and reminds us that Mother Teresa’s legacy is still being carried out today in our diocese through the charitable efforts of the order she founded.

“There are many people in our diocese who vividly remember Mother Teresa’s visit on June 14, 1995,” said Kenneth J. Souza, reporter for The Anchor and coordinator for the directory. “Given her impending canonization, which has been scheduled for the very week that our new directory begins shipping, we thought it was appropriate to take a look back at that amazing moment in our diocesan history, while honoring someone who many feel was always destined for sainthood.”

This annual information resource, published by The Anchor, has consistently been the go-to reference guide for all the parishes, offices and apostolates within the Fall River Diocese and has continued to offer more information with each subsequent edition.

Following the trend of the past few years, the full-color, spiral-bound directory tops out at more than 260 pages — including 11 heavy stock insert tabs and front and back covers — and is one of the most detailed editions The Anchor has published to date.

Expanded sections in this year’s directory include listings of all Religious Communities working in the diocese, and a complete listing of active and retired deacons living in the diocese, whether they are assigned to a given parish or not.

“We’re always looking for ways to refine and improve upon previous editions,” Souza said. “While the listing of 141 diocesan priests has been regularly updated, the accounting of some 93 permanent deacons has not. We set out to rectify that this year.”

As in past years, the directory provides updated telephone and address listings of all diocesan offices, personnel, archives, priests’ residences, councils and apostolates ranging from The Anchor to Catholic Social Services and its many offices, campus ministry, the Development Office, Chancery, Faith Formation, insurance, legal, communications, scouting, shelters, vocations and much more.

The ever-popular “Parishes and Missions” section — which makes up the bulk of the book — includes updated photos of the main church, mission location (if any), and even thumbnail photos of the pastor or parochial administrator at each location. All of the Mass schedules and contact information have been updated, and The Anchor has made a concerted effort to include parish website and email addresses, which have become the key method of contact in this computer- and smartphone-savvy era.

Expanded indexes of parishes, listed alphabetically and by geographical area, and advertisers, also listed alphabetically and by service category — both of which were added for the first time last year — are included again in this edition.

Souza said he’s already planning ahead for next year’s directory and is considering adding an index of parish website and/or email addresses to make it easier for people to find these increasingly more common modes of contact information.

As always, the support of dedicated advertisers is pivotal to the directory’s annual success; and the 2016-2017 Catholic Directory is not only an invaluable diocesan resource, but also offers a guide to loyal sponsors who support the diocese’s mission and, in turn, deserve your consideration.

“This edition of our directory is one of the most successful we’ve ever had from an advertising perspective,” said Wayne R. Powers, advertising director for The Anchor and the directory. “I think people know it’s still one of the best vehicles and values to make their products and services known throughout the diocese.”

“It takes a lot of time and effort to assemble and update the information every year, but it’s an essential resource tool for the diocese,” Souza added. “We’re always proud of the directory and I think others will be, too.”

To order a copy of the newly-published 2016-2017 Catholic Directory, send a check for $23 made payable to “Anchor Publishing,” to The Anchor, 887 Highland Avenue, Fall River, Mass. 02722; or print and use the handy coupon below. You can also place an order online HERE or by calling 508-675-7151.